More Colgan employees coming forward

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - More former employees of Colgan Air are coming forward with chilling claims of how the airline conducts business. Their comments follow a News 4 exclusive interview with a former Colgan crew scheduler who shared her experiences.

All these responses were triggered by a growing Facebook campaign against Colgan Air, launched by a Flight 3407 widow, Robin Tolsma. Tolsma lost her husband Darren in the Clarence crash in 2009. Now, two flight attendants add their comments to a growing list of disturbing testimony about Colgan Air.

Robin Tolsma's Facebook group page dubbed "I Will Never Fly Colgan Air" has one goal that she clearly states as, "This is to make sure that I take down Colgan as quickly as I can, with as much help as I can."

She is getting help from four former Colgan employees, including Gina Ryder, a former crew scheduler who said the airline cut corners and sacrificed safety just to meet the bottom line.

"It was greed. The company was going bankrupt. They handed over a family business to Pinnacle Airlines," said Ryder.

Under Colgan and Pinnacle, says Ryder, serious issues including pilot and crew fatigue and an alleged lack of proper training were either not addressed or slid under the rug. She cites remedial pilot training before the check ride in the air, as an example.

Ryder explained, "It was just, you go in. You have a meeting with the Chief Pilot. He goes over some things with you, and that's it."

Former Colgan flight attendant Meagan Gregory Lewis said the Saab 340 she was on had a steering malfunction. The Captain refused to take off for the next flight. Colgan, she says, was more concerned about keeping the flight schedule than fixing the problem.

On Facebook, Lewis said, "They were giving him hell for it, but he continued to refuse."

News 4 spoke to Lewis on the phone about Colgan's alleged response, and she added, "'We don't want the plane delayed, could you just fly it?' And the Captain said, 'I would rather not because of this problem.' And they're like, 'Well, this flight needs not to be delayed too much.'"

She says a mechanic finally found that the steering line had been severed. A spokesman for Pinnacle Airlines told News 4, "We respect the right for people to comment on social media and express their opinions. We will not comment on allegations made on social media."

Ryder said, "I'm ashamed to say I ever stood up for that company, I worked for them. It breaks my heart."